Improvement in sizing yarn by steam



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

H. A. FLETCHER, OF SHELBURNE, VERMONT.

IMPROVEMENT IN SIZING YARN BY STEAMQ.

To all whom it may concern.- V

Be it known that I, HANNIBAL A. FLETCH- ER, of Shclburne, in the countyof Ghittenden and State of Vermont, have invented a new and ImprovedMode of Sizing Yarn used in the manufacture of cloth; and I herebydeclare that the following is a full and exact description.

The nature of my invention consists in the application ot*'t he sizingmaterial by means of steam.

To enable others skilled in the art to make use of my invention, I willproceed to describe the manner in which the sizing material is applied.I

It may be premised thatin order to themanufacture of cloth to advantage,and particularly woolens, the yarn must be sized before it passes intothe loom, and this is generally done by passing the yarn into a troughcontaining the sizing material and between various sets of rollers forthe purpose of excluding any excess of the sizing material and of dryingthe yarn. In this mode the yarn to some extent becomes untwisted inpassing from the bobbins into the trough and is platted by passing wetbetween the rollers or cylinders, and 'is more liable to friction inpassing through the harness andthereed. In the mode pursued by me these--diffioulties are wholly obviated, and a great saving is'made inexpense, time, and labor, and the yarn by being retained on the bobbinsuntil sized is left round as it passes from the jack, and the whirl orprojecting parts of the yarn are laid smooth, so that little or nothingis lost by friction in passing through the harness and reed and the yarnloses none of the twist.

I place the water intended for sizing in any vessel heated by fire, andto twelve quarts of water put in one-fourth pound of common glue andone-fourth pound of gum-arabic, then heating the mixture to such atemperature as to generate steam, place the bobbins in a basket, and,insert the basket within the vessel, so as to be within the steam, but alittle above the water, where I allow them to remain from'fifteen totwenty minutes, then taking the basket from the steam the bobbins may beturned out on a clean floor or allowed to remain in the basket, and infifteen minutes the yarn will be come sutficiently dry to be reeled, orthe bobbins may be retained in the basket or in piles any length of timewithout danger of rotting or of becoming sour. As the sizing materialbecomes diminished by evaporation I add to the water, and also in smallquantities, glue and gum-arabie inequal proportions at the above rate,and the liquid becomes stronger and better adapted for sizing, thelonger it is used, and is not so liable to sour, except in extreme hotweather, as sizing prepared in the old mode.

The quantity of the sizing material may be varied according to thequantity of bobbins to be'immersed in the steam, and the steam may beconducted from the kettle into anything sattieiently tight to retain it,as convenience may require.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-- The application of the sizing material to the yarn by means ofsteam,as is herein described,

using for that purpose gumv-arabic in connection with glue.

Burlington, January 24, 1843.

H. A. FLETCHER.

Witnesses:

J. S. ADAMS, CHARLES ADAMS.

